Second Chance
by TheLastThingYou'llNeverSee
Summary: A second Chance. Sometimes, that's all you need to make all the difference. Harry is abused. Snape sees that, acidentally. Him and some friends rectify the situation. AU and Slightly OOC for some of the main, but they all have reason. you'll see
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – A chance encounter at the park

On one of the first sunny days in March, a stern-looking man strode into a public park in a London suburb. A small girl trailed behind him happily, her eyes already fixed on the swing set.

Severus waved his young daughter off with a slight smile and sat on a bench as she sprinted away with a laugh.

Knowing Sirena would entertain herself, Severus pulled a wrinkled sheaf of parchment from his overcoat and smoothed it out against his thigh.  
Dumbledore had written again, his tone a lot more demanding now, to urge him to accept the position as potion master at Hogwarts.  
Severus was having none of it.  
The old Headmaster wanted him under his thumb completely, for reasons Severus did not fully understand, but it was out of the question.  
He had paid his dues in the war, becoming a double agent. Had allowed that horrid mark on his body, all for the greater good.  
Now Severus deserved rest. And to be there for Sirena.  
He hardly ever saw his daughter during her first year, and he'd make up for that forever. 

_Teaching sounds appealing. But not before Sirena is attending school herself._

Too lost in his musings, the man never noticed his daughter sitting down with a ragged looking boy. 

Sirena was playing in the sand box with her new friend. He'd been watching her on the swings, but didn't join. So she had flown to him instead.  
Now they were building a castle. They were laughing quietly until suddenly, the small boy was pushed face-first in to the sand.  
Sirena flew to her feet, fire blazing in her black eyes.

"Leave him alone, you big bully!"

Severus' eyes snapped up after hearing his daughter. Sirena rarely ever raised her voice.  
He saw his little girl staring down a chubby boy, while another child was kneeling beside them, sniffling and wiping sand from his face.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Severus strode over.

"And what exactly is happening here?" he noted that his snark was as effective as ever. The chubby blonde quivered slightly.

"N-nothing, sir," he mumbled, then gave the boy on the ground a nasty glare and trotted off with his friends.

Sirena beamed at her father and then hauled the still sniffling boy to his feet.

"Don't cry. He's not going to bully you anymore."

"He doesn't really mean it, he's just angry." The dark-haired child had a soft voice. The unruly mop of hair looked very familiar to Severus. 

"What's your name, boy?" he asked, none too sharply. He feared he already knew the answer.

"My name's Harry, sir. Harry Potter." The older wizard was hit with a freight train of memories when those brilliant green eyes peaked up at him through the dark fringes. It took him a second to register how drawn the small face was, and peppered with old and new bruises.  
Harry saw what the man was focusing on, and panic gripped him.

"Thank you, but I need to go. Now." Before Severus could respond, or even think of a response, the boy was gone.  
He could see him sprinting away, and fought the urge to follow. He needed to think about what to do with this chance encounter.

"Sirena. Time to go." The little girl looked crestfallen, but took her father's hand without fussing.  
He led them behind a tree and with a sharp snap, they vanished.

They popped into a lavishly decorated drawing room, from which Severus led his daughter.  
After passing through a long hallway lined with portraits, they reached a door.  
Severus knocked once, and entered without waiting for a response.  
"Uncle Lucius!" Sirena ripped her hand away from her father, scurried around the large mahogany desk and jumped on the blonde man's lap.

"What's all this? You just saw me at breakfast, little siren," he scolded, but his gentle gaze told her, he was happy to see her.  
"Why are you back so early, hmm?"

"We encountered a little surprise on the playground," Severus informed him.  
"Call for Narcissa, please. I need both of your minds, and would rather not repeat myself."

Lucius chortled at his friend and sent a house elf to fetch his wife.  
While they waited, he amused his god-daughter with making an orange tap-dance across his desk.  
Narcissa was greeted with the girl's bright laughter, and when Sirena noticed her godmother, she immediately skipped over to receive a strong hug. Narcissa and her had a special bond, the blonde witch having been a substitute mother to her ever since Sirena could remember.  
Now she sat herself on the free arm chair and pulled the girl on her lap, looking expectantly from her husband to her best friend.

"Sirena made a new friend today. One Mister Harry Potter."

Narcissa and her husband shared a look before Lucius spoke up.

"How on earth did you just stumble over him? Wasn't he supposed to be hidden away and protected? There's still some true Death Eaters out there. Wasn't that the whole point of depriving the boy of his birthright and stash him away with Muggles? To protect him?"  
"I think the Muggles are more of a danger to him than stray dark wizards. He had bruises. Lot's of them."

"Draco bruises easily," Narcissa threw in.  
"Maybe Harry does as well."

"I fear that is not the case. Which is why I haven't sent Sirena away yet," Severus replied, before looking at his daughter.  
"What did Harry tell you? You two where whispering before."  
Sirena looked subdued as she cuddled back into Narcissa's embrace.

"I asked him where he got the bruises and he said his uncle was angry all the time. Sometimes his cousin hits him too, but Harry said that only happens when his uncle gets mad at Dudley." She peeked at her father.

"He was your friend's son, right Daddy?"

"Yes, he is. Did he say anything else?"

"He wanted to, but then Dudley pushed him," she recounted indignantly.

"Why don't you go find Draco, sweetheart," Narcissa asked.  
"He's playing in his room."

"Okay."

After she'd skipped from the room, Severus sighed and accepted a brandy from Lucius.

"I told Albus not to hide him away in the Muggle world. But he said the boy would be safe with _family_." He spat that last word with derision and bitterness. Narcissa laid her hand on his arm lightly, and shared a look with her husband.  
Severus had suffered much abuse at the hands of his father.

Lucius stood, summoning his elf and instructing it to keep an eye on the children.  
Then he summoned their cloaks.

"It's no use to just wonder. Maybe he was lying, maybe he wasn't. We don't know. And we can't make rash decisions here. But we will be checking out his family. See just how angry this uncle really is. Then we can still make rash decisions." Lucius did not hide his glee at that last remark.

When he'd learned about the abuse Severus suffered in the younger man's third year, when Lucius had been the Sixth year prefect, the first thing he'd done was take the boy to the hospital wing.  
The second thing he'd done, was hex the seventh year prefect who should have seen the boy's anguish a year ago.  
Ever since, he'd looked out for Severus like a younger brother.  
And after the birth of both their children, they had an all new hatred for child abusers.

"Your rash decisions are why I'm coming along, to keep you in line," Narcissa commented, fastening her own cloak and pulling up the hood to hide her distinct silvery blonde hair.

"Yes, the Ice Queen is going to have us on leashes." Lucius teased his wife who only shot him a haughty smirk in response. 

"Severus, who's the secret keeper? Just a guess."

Severus tried to remember Petunia's address. Her and Lilly making up in their late teens had led to a sort of acceptance of each other and he had known where she moved after she married.  
With a start, he remembered.

"4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. That' means..."

"That means," Narcissa growled,"the savior of the Wizarding World apparently isn't as well protected as the world thinks. Let's go, boys!"

"Splendid", Lucius exclaimed.  
"Late night house call!"

All three of them, cloaked and hooded, disapparated with a crack.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A broken Family

Harry was taking the very long way home.  
When Dudley and he had escaped the house today, Uncle Vernon had not been in a good mood.  
He never was, not as far as Harry could remember. Together, the boys had found out that Vernon lost his prestigious job at Grunnings for an outburst at a dinner party.

Some of Harry's earliest memories were of Vernon leaving home in a nice suit in the mornings, and coming home drunk and angry.  
He hadn't found another job to this day, but kept getting meaner and meaner.  
By now, the boy was convinced Uncle Vernon hated them all. But he definitely hated Harry the most.  
But that's why he was never really angry at his cousin. Dudley was always mean to him when he'd been the target of his father's anger. But at the same time, they often hid together.  
And Petunia was out of the house almost all day, working to feed them all, and when she came home, the adults fought.

Harry and Dudley usually had a truce, trying to do chores around the house because Vernon wouldn't and Petunia had no time.  
All the while, the boys tried to dodge Vernon as much as possible, who'd yell at them, take swipes at the children, and sometimes thrash them terribly.  
Harry caught it more often than Dudley, but even he wasn't safe from his own father.

As Harry was musing about his life, the boy didn't even consciously notice that he was circling his block multiple times.  
It wasn't that cold yet, so he stayed out as long as possible.

The child's mind drifted to his aunt.  
He never really knew what to make of Aunt Petunia. Most of the time, she was utterly indifferent to him. She gave him chores, she snapped at him, and she didn't show him the same affection as she gave Dudley.  
That hurt. But Harry supposed that was because she was Dudley's mum, and not his. In his seven year old mind, it seemed like the only logical conclusion. He didn't have a mum to love him, but Dudley had.  
Harry tried not to resent his cousin for that.  
At least Aunt Petunia didn't hate him. Whenever she came home to her husband _punishing_ Harry for being a freak, she intervened. Then Aunt Petunia was the one hiding the bruises.

And while Harry never understood why his Aunt didn't just leave with them, he admired how stubbornly she refused to show fear.

He always tried. But the stubborn facade fell at the sight of the belt.

Shuddering, Harry shoved those memories away. And then he realized the shivering wasn't stopping.  
With a start, the boy noted night had fallen around him and it had started to rain.

 _I'm so late! I'm gonna be in so much trouble!_

He sprinted home as fast as he could, ignoring the stabbing pain he felt every time he breathed in.

The boy was drenched by the time he jumped over the unkempt hedges of Number 4, Privet Drive, ignoring the front door.  
He was often out far too late, which angered Uncle Vernon immensely.  
So Aunt Petunia had started keeping the basement window open for him, so that he could slip in, and pretend he'd been hiding in the cellar.  
But when he crouched down in the mud, the window was latched closed.

Harry froze. He would have to knock. There was no way around it.  
Aunt Petunia wasn't home yet. She'd picked up a double shift today.  
He considered waiting for her, but he was already freezing, feeling the coldness seep into his bones.

The little boy went to the porch, hoping Uncle Vernon would make Dudley open the door. Then he's slip into his cupboard and stay there until his aunt came home.

He knocked timidly and to his relief, the door opened to reveal his cousin's chubby face. His Uncle hadn't heard!  
They'd had a fight this morning, and Dudley seemed half tempted to rat him out, but then just waved Harry inside.  
Unfortunately, his contemplation had taken long enough for a cold draft to reach the living room and rouse the intoxicated whale of a man.

"CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR!"

Dudley quickly shut it, but Uncle Vernon already came thundering into the hall.  
He took on look at Harry, dirty and freezing, and exploded.

He lunged at the frightened boy, and dragged him into the living room by his shirt. Dudley started up the stairs to hide in his room, but his father roared for him to follow and Dudley didn't dare disobey.

Vernon almost threw Harry into the middle of the room.  
Both boys eyes flew to the side table to spot two empty liquor bottles.  
Harry swallowed hard. This wouldn't be pretty.

* * *

It was dark when three hooded figures apparated to Magnolia Crescent, but the rain had stopped to a light drizzle. They'd apparated at some distance, since they didn't want the tracking spell to flare up with their arrival.  
Between the three of them an anti-detection ward would be in place in no time at all, but it wouldn't help if they'd already done magic there.  
When they reached the perimeter of the tracking spell, they heard some muffled noises.

With practiced ease, Narcissa weaved her wand through the air. Wards were a specialty of hers, and this one wasn't so very complicated.  
There was a commotion going on in the house, they could hear it now.

Lucius took charge and strode up the untidy walkway. With a flick of his wand, the front door opened and they were greeted with a roar.

"VERNON! What have you done!?" Petunia Dursley didn't sound frightened, just outraged. Severus fired a Silencing Charm off and followed Lucius to the Living Room.

They entered just in time to see a huge, red-faced drunk taking a swing at a tall blonde woman. She fell sideways, Lucius fired off a stunner and the man crumpled with a heavy thud.

Narcissa wanted to go over to her, but instead, her gaze fell on the two boys in the corner.  
The chubby blonde one looked frightened, as if he were about to cry, but Harry was unconscious. His hair was matted with blood and his cousin tightened his grip on him.

"It's alright," she soothed him, "You're both safe now. Let me look at Harry."  
She coaxed the boy into letting go of the smaller child and ran a diagnostic spell under Dudley's watchful eyes while Lucius and Severus guided a dazed Petunia to the sofa.  
She blinked the stars from her eyes, and when reality set in again, she shied away from them.

"Who are you? What do you want?" There was a stubborn defiance in her voice, but when she spotted Narcissa in the corner, she got fearful.  
"What are you doing to them? Get away from my boys!"

She immediately flinched as if struck. Narcissa ignored her, but Severus crouched down in front of her.

"Petunia! Get a hold on yourself. We're here to help," she looked at him uncertainly and he made an impatient noise.  
"It's me, Severus. Remember? Lily's friend?"

"Severus?" Something stirred in her brain.  
"You're that Snape boy! My mother said you and Lily weren't friends anymore. You're one of those freaks!"

Now Severus looked like he'd been slapped. He and Petunia had never been close, but she didn't hate him.  
And then it struck him. Lily. She had told Petunia they'd made up. He knew she did.  
If Petunia didn't remember that...

"Listen. To. Me. We're here to help. Let us help you. You and the boys. We'll take you away from _him_." Severus practically snarled the last word.  
He stared at her imploringly. Petunia was fighting an internal battle. But with a look to her terrified son and unconscious nephew, the decision was easier.  
Unless the blonde stranger had killed her husband, he'd be beyond furious when he awoke.

She didn't know if she could trust these magic freaks. Certainly didn't want to. But if the boys didn't get out of here soon, Harry wouldn't live to see his 8th birthday.  
For just a second, Petunia allowed herself to mourn her broken family. She didn't even know when it had all gone so wrong.

"Alright. Alright, let me get some clothes for the boys."

"There's no need," Narcissa said from her corner. She picked Harry up, and stood with him.  
"I need to see to Harry's wounds. Someone will come over later and collect their things."

"You go ahead," Lucius told his wife.  
"Take them back to the manor. I'll get rid of the wards and make sure this sorry excuse of a human being has an unpleasant rest."

He prodded Vernon with his boot, looking down in distaste.

Severus and Narcissa knew better than to argue with him. The witch led the blonde boy over to Severus and his mother.  
He'd been very quiet the entire time.  
Dudley didn't understand who these strangers were, nor how they did what they did. But he was convinced that when the lady waved her stick around, Harry had felt better. His face had smoothed.

And his mother decided that they would go with them. His father always ranted about respect and family, but Dudley was glad they were leaving.  
Severus observed the boy's stony face as Narcissa explained to him that they were going to apparate and that it wouldn't feel pleasant.

"..but you'll see, it will be over in a second and we'll be hundreds of miles away."

"That's very convenient," he remarked quietly, "Sounds better than spending hours in the car."

That drew a smile from Narcissa and Dudley blushed. She instructed him to grab on to Severus' hand and apparated away with Harry.  
Severus grasped Petunia's arm and kept a firm grip on the boy.  
With a nod to Lucius, he disapparated.

As soon as they were gone, Lucius summoned one of his elves. He ordered it to pack everything belonging to Petunia and the boys, and store it at the Manor.

With the elf at work, the blonde wizard contemplated the unconscious lump on the floor.  
It was true, he did not care for Muggles. He didn't necessarily hate them, he just didn't give a damn if they lived or died.  
But if he killed Vernon Dursley, that would raise all kinds of questions, and for now, they did not need any notoriety around the fact that they had removed the Boy-Who-Lived from his home, no matter how dangerous this place was for him.

With a very nasty smirk, the Malfoy Patriarch started the wand movement for an old curse.  
So old, in fact, that there was hardly any record of it.  
It was a Malfoy family heirloom of sorts, spellwork passed down through generation.

"Fragor animae."

The words dripped from his lips like poison.  
It was a nasty bit of work, this curse. It showed you what you really were. All the twisted wants and notions in your mind. It drove you insane. For some people, it would wear off eventually. For others, the insanity cut too deeply. Lucius didn't really know what would happen, nor did he care.  
This was dark magic; meant only to punish. If you were cursed, you deserved it.

Once he heard his elf finish its work, he summoned it to him and had it place a compulsion charm on the man. He'd not go looking for his family.  
The elf clearly seemed uncomfortable, performing magic on a human like this. But elf magic didn't leave a unique signature. No one would be able to trace it back to him once the stunner wore off.  
He sauntered out of the house, surreptitiously cast a Muggle-Repelling Charm on the doorknob and canceled the ward over the property.  
He'd put some distance between the Dursley residence and himself, and then apparate home. On the way, he thought about the evening's events.

No, Lucius Malfoy really didn't care for muggles.  
But he cared about family. And no matter what, every child, even a muggle child, deserved a good family.  
This hadn't been one. But maybe the damage could still be reversed.


End file.
